Into the Ocean
by merixthexninja
Summary: [Oneshot songfic Zutara] Zuko and Katara meet in the forest one day, and inevitably this leads to them fighting. Song: Into the Ocean, Blue October.


Song: Blue October, Into the Ocean. Please review. )

XOXOXOXOXOX

Trudging on foot through the thick of the forest, Zuko adjusted the strap of his bag that had been digging into his shoulder blade. His feet were killing him, the new Earth Kingdom shoes he'd been forced to wear felt odd on his feet, he was much more used to the stiff Fire Nation styles. He had to be in disguise, though, for if it were discovered that he was Fire Nation every bender and Earth patriot would be after his head.

_I'm just a normal boy That sank when I fell overboard_

If only he hadn't lost at the North Pole. He could've finally succeeded in capturing the Avatar, and then he could at last go home. He could've had his throne back, his honor. His home.

_My ship would leave the country_ _But I'd rather swim ashore_

If only Zhao and those pirates hadn't blown his ship up. It would all have worked out if he had his ship to go to after he had the Avatar. Of course, none of that mattered now; the past can't be changed. If he had his ship now, he'd have to leave it behind anyway while wandering around the Earth Kingdom. Bringing the soldiers with him would be conspicuous, so ship or no ship he'd be stuck on foot with only his Uncle.

He'd been hearing rumors that the Avatar was in the area for the past few days, and then early this morning while eating breakfast he'd seen the bison flying past. He had the trail again, and this time the weather wouldn't be a problem. No blizzards here.

_Without a life vest I'd be stuck again__  
Wish I was much more masculine  
Maybe then I could learn to swim  
Like 'fourteen miles away'_

A rush of wind above, a pale spot of tan against the blue sky. It descended down into the treetops, crashing through a few trees with a loud crack, and landed with a distant boom like a little earthquake.

Zuko stopped, smiled, ran.

When he got closer, he slowed his pace to a walk, trying not to blow his cover with any noise. He ducked from tree to tree, the thick forest providing ample coverage.

Up ahead in the spot where he'd seen the bison land, Zuko heard someone talking. He stopped, breathed in, and pushed through the bushes.

"I've got you now, Ava—"

The Waterbender girl stood alone in a clearing obviously made by the bison's landing. But there was no bison, no Avatar. Just that girl bending some water from a pond into a canteen, who now stood staring at him in a mix of shock and anger. Before he could blink, the bender was hurling half the contents of the pond at him. Water crashed everywhere, soaking his clothes and shattering the ground. Fire and water exploded here and there, the water boiling away into the air and the flames being drenched before they burnt anything.

_Now floating up and down_

_I spin, colliding into sound_

_Like whales below me diving down_

_I'm sinking to the bottom of my_

_Every thing that freaks me out_

_The lighthouse beam has just run out_

"I don't want to fight you," his mind screamed out. "It was a mistake." But even if he said this, even if she could hear him over the ruckus they were making in their fighting, he knew that she wasn't going to stop.

_I'm cold as cold as cold can be_

_Be_

His sudden appearance surprised her. She's been in a good mood; it was a nice day, with nice weather and good travel. She had almost completely forgotten about her enemies, the constant danger they were in. She almost forgot that he was after them.

_I want to swim away but don't know how  
Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean_

Now her day was ruined. Why'd he have to come here? She didn't want to fight, why couldn't he just leave her alone? She didn't want to fight Zuko. Not now, not today.

She thought that he had said something over the fighting. It must have been her imagination.

But if he wanted to fight her, that's fine. She'd win this; she had friends to protect. He wasn't going to beat her.

_Let the waves up take me down  
Let the hurricane set in motion... yeah_

There was so much water being whipped around, it was like being in the middle of a tsunami. His clothes were soaked; his fire couldn't even reach her before going out. He swore that the air had been transformed into water so that he was seeing water, feeling water, breathing water.

She was in the middle of the sun. Fire seemed to be everywhere, swirling around her, dangerously close to burning away her life. She didn't even know if her water attacks were hitting him, all she could see was flashes of yellow and red.

_Let the rain of what I feel right now...come down  
Let the rain come down_

He couldn't keep this up for much longer. Fire comes from the breath, but every time he tried to breathe he got a mouthful of water. He was fighting on the few fleeting gasps of air he got between attacks.

_Not knowing how to think  
I scream aloud, begin to sink_

She couldn't keep this up for much longer. Her arms ached, her shoulders were sore. Every time she had to dodge a fire attack she lost her footing, and there was a fraction of a second to get it back before the next blast of fire came.

_My legs and arms are broken down  
With envy for the solid ground_

Keep fighting. Don't lose.

_I'm reaching for the life within me  
How can one man stop his ending_

Where was the Avatar? He had to get him before he could get out of here. Who knew when his next chance would come, this could be his last try.

Where was Aang? She needed help; Zuko was too much for her to take alone. He said that he would be right back, where was he? She needed him.

_I thought of just your face  
Relaxed, and floated into space_

They both stopped.

Neither one could continue fighting like that. Zuko dropped to his hands and knees and gasped for breath, his head spinning from the lack of air. Katara was on the ground, barely able to breathe.

She looked into his eyes, and he stared back.

Katara got up and ran. Zuko didn't move.

_I want to swim away but don't know how  
Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean_

He had missed his chance.

She was gone.

_Let the waves up take me down  
Let the hurricane set in motion... yeah_

"Find me, Aang…"

_Let the rain of what I feel right now...come down_

Who won that?

_Let the rain come down  
Let the rain come down_

He stood up slowly, trying to regain his balance.

_Into the ocean, end it all_

She stopped running, trying to regain her breath.

_Into the ocean, end it all_

He walked away.

_Into the ocean, end it all_

She walked away.

_Into the ocean...end it all._


End file.
